


Observations of the Ghost Crew

by Elkseqa



Series: Everything Is The Same But Rexsoka Is Canon [2]
Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Fluff and Angst, One Shot, Star Wars: Rebels Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:22:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24616756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elkseqa/pseuds/Elkseqa
Summary: Two survivors of the Clone Wars, one a fallen Jedi, the other a rebellious soldier, torn apart and thrown together by the galaxy time and time again...it read like a bad holodrama.
Relationships: CT-7567 | Rex/Ahsoka Tano, Kanan Jarrus/Hera Syndulla
Series: Everything Is The Same But Rexsoka Is Canon [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1779340
Comments: 10
Kudos: 122





	Observations of the Ghost Crew

Ever since the Ghost crew had been joined by Ahsoka and Rex, Ezra couldn’t help but feel like their little family was finally complete. While the term “family” felt a little sentimental, there was no denying that that was what they were. Kanan and Hera were no doubt the parents, keeping everyone in line, and Ezra had come to think of Sabine and Zeb as older siblings. And then there was Chopper, who he supposed was a sort of pet, though he would certainly take offense to the title.

Rex had fit right in as a sort of grandfather. Not the gentle, “here’s a special treat for you sonny” kind, but more of the grizzled, “get off my lawn before I shoot you” variety, but that was just fine with Ezra. He had a grouchy streak, for sure, especially after spending any amount of time around Kanan, but for the most part, Rex was pretty cool to hang around. He had no shortage of fantastic war stories, and Ahsoka had been right in that he was a brilliant warrior even now. Ezra always looked forward to learning from him, whether it was simple hand-to-hand combat or target practice.

And then there was Ahsoka. He supposed she was the weird aunt of their group. Of course, he would never call her “weird” to her face, but something told him that even if he did, she might be the type to take it as a complement. She worked him hard whenever he asked for her to train him, but it was a privilege to learn from her. Even though she and Kanan had been training as Jedi at the same time, Ezra somehow got the impression that she was years ahead of his Master in experience and wisdom. She carried herself with a quiet dignity and commanded respect from leaders twice her age, and it gave him no small amount of pride to receive a compliment from her.

Which was why it was always so strange to see the ever calm and measured Fulcrum joke and giggle in such a carefree way around Rex, who teased her shamelessly in return. He had respect for her, to be sure, but there was an easy familiarity between the two of them that made them seem much more human around each other, instead of the venerated war heroes that everyone else in the Rebellion placed on pillars. As nice as it was to see the two of them cut loose, however, there were odd moments between the two of them that caused Ezra to raise an eyebrow.

On more than one occasion, Ezra had caught Rex watching and smiling appreciatively as Ahsoka walked in and out of a room, which wasn’t unusual in and of itself, as someone would have to be blind to not notice how attractive she was. But with how strong she was in the Force, Ezra found it hard to believe that she was unaware of his stares, and what’s more, he could have sworn she encouraged it, perhaps swaying her hips more than necessary and casting the occasional wink over her shoulder in a way that could almost be described as flirtatious. There were also the countless times he spotted them casually holding hands whenever they were in proximity to each other. And then there was the fact that they seemed to constantly be of one mind, more finishing each other’s thoughts than finishing each other’s sentences, having a full conversation with only a glance. He had seen Hera and Kanan act this way before, and it was easy to assume that Ahsoka and Rex had a similar relationship, but while the former was already well-known, it seemed that nobody addressed the latter, or else excused it as a remarkably close friendship formed in the war.

That was possibly the case, and part of Ezra hoped that was so. It was a little weird seeing them act this way around each other due to their apparent difference in age, not that he was one to judge. He chose – for once – to keep his mouth shut about things he didn’t understand, partially because he was a little scared to imply anything that could get him on the bad side of either of them.

That didn’t stop him from trading banter with Rex on any normal day, however. “Gonna have a talk with whoever dumped these junky weapons on us,” Rex grumbled, sitting down with a ration bar for lunch. (Ezra had never actually seen him eat anything else and wondered if he somehow liked the flavorless sticks.) “Damn blaster jammed on me.”

“Or you just missed,” Ezra quipped, sitting down beside him.

“I don’t miss,” he said with a glare.

Ezra held up his hands defensively. “I’m not judging, but they say the eyes are the first things to go, Gramps.”

“You oughtta respect your elders, Kid,” Rex warned, but his mouth still quirked up into an amused half-smile.

“Yeah, respect your elders,” Ahsoka parroted jokingly, coming up behind the two of them. Ezra hadn’t sensed her coming. Years spent hiding from Inquisitors had made Ahsoka’s shields so strong that she was near impossible to detect in the Force, despite how powerful she was.

“Where did you come from?” Ezra wondered.

Ahsoka took a seat beside Rex. “I was summoned by hearing this guy calling everyone around him ‘kid,’ no matter how old they are.” She elbowed him playfully in the ribs. “So, what were you two talking about?”

“Respecting our elders?” Ezra replied helpfully.

“Ah, yes. That.” She leaned forward and stage-whispered while gesturing to Rex, “Unless it’s this old fart.”

“You’re one to be giving advice on this,” Rex scoffed before turning back to Ezra. “She pretty much never listened when she was apprenticed to General Skywalker.”

“First of all, that’s because Anakin was…well, Anakin, and second of all, that was only in the beginning. I got much better later on,” she protested.

“Uh-huh,” Rex said disbelievingly. “And was ‘later on’ before or after that time you froze yourself in carbonite to follow us on a mission you were specifically told not to go on?”

“Hey! I ended up being useful,” Ahsoka snapped back. “And again… _Anakin._ ”

Rex considered this for a moment, then shrugged. “You have a point.”

“I’m sorry, you did what?” Ezra asked. It was hard to keep up with the two of them sometimes.

“It was actually the General’s idea,” Rex said, as if that explained everything. “Terribly uncomfortable. I wouldn’t recommend it as a form of stealth.”

“Also, in regards to age,” Ahsoka continued, not straying from their earlier conversation to elaborate further, “I believe I remember someone saying ‘experience outranks everything.’”

“Oh, so you think you outrank me now, do you?”

“Technically, I always have, _Captain_ ,” she said pointedly.

“Technically, you don’t hold a rank anymore, _Commander_ ,” he shot back.

Ezra felt as though he could have easily slipped away and left them to their banter, but then Ahsoka turned to him. “Long story short,” she said, though Ezra couldn’t figure out for the life of him what the story even was, “don’t let this old-timer give you crap about respecting your elders. He certainly didn’t.”

“Old-timer.” Rex snorted. “We’re only four years apart.”

“Whoawhoawhoa. Back up.” Ezra looked between the two of them, at Rex’s weathered face and white beard and at Ahsoka’s delicate features and athletic figure and tried doing some mental math that just wouldn’t add up. “You’re only four years older than her?”

“Younger,” Ahsoka corrected with a proud tilt of her chin. Rex grimaced and looked away. This seemed to be a constant sore spot between the two of them.

Ezra felt as though he might fall over with how much his head was spinning. “But…but that means… _you’re younger than Kanan?!_ ” Kanan wasn’t even old enough to be Ezra’s father, even though he often acted the part. Meanwhile, Rex looked to be decades older. He'd heard that war aged people faster, but this seemed ridiculous.

“Don’t go telling him that,” Rex said.

“But how?”

“Didn’t eat my green vegetables,” he joked, earning him another playful elbow from Ahsoka.

“Clones age twice as fast as regular humans,” Ahsoka explained, frowning as though this left a bad taste in her mouth. “Made it easier for the Kaminoans to produce massive armies for the Republic on short notice. Rex was only ten when I first met him at the Battle of Christophsis.”

“But I was tall for my age,” Rex insisted, earning a laugh from Ahsoka. 

“Yes, yes, I remember,” she said, rolling her eyes. Apparently, they’d reminisced on this before.

“So…you’re…” Ezra struggled to find the right words.

“Much younger than I look,” Rex finished for him. “And feel. These old joints sure aren’t doing me any favors.” He barked out a laugh and rubbed his knees for emphasis.

"That’s awful,” Ezra finally said. To have your life cut in half before you were even born…he couldn’t even imagine.

“Ah, it’s not so bad. Don’t look so mopey about it. I’ve come to terms with it a long time ago, and I’ve still got a long time left. This body’s still got some fight left in it,” Rex assured him.

“I’ll say,” Ahsoka chuckled. She leaned in close to Rex's ear, and Ezra was almost sure he wasn’t supposed to hear her murmur, “And no matter what, you’ll always be my Sexy Rexy.” But the kiss on his cheek before she left was even less subtle.

Rex’s face had turned an alarming shade of crimson, and he turned all his attention to eating his ration bar. “What’re you looking at?” he snapped when he caught Ezra still staring, open-mouthed.

“Nothing! I heard nothing!”

And of course he told _nothing_ to Sabine and Zeb later that afternoon.

* * *

Kanan found Ahsoka studying maps in her quarters, blessedly alone for the first time in ages. She smiled expectantly as he walked in but didn’t stand to greet him. Not much need for formality in the Rebellion, but that still didn’t stop the flicker of nervousness that went through him every time he was in her presence. She wasn’t that much older than him, but not even her strongest shields could fully disguise from him the amount of sheer power she possessed in the Force. What else could be expected from the former Padawan of Master Skywalker, the supposed “Chosen One?”

“You’ve been wanting to speak with me,” Ahsoka stated before he could say anything, “ever since Rex got here.”

“Yes, I have,” he confirmed, never one to beat around the bush.

“I understand your apprehension, but believe me when I say that I trust him with my life. I have, in fact, on several occasions.”

“I could have said the same about a lot of the clones back in the war,” Kanan said bitterly.

Ahsoka nodded somberly and sighed. “I know.”

“Actually, I wanted to ask you about something in particular that Rex said back on Seelos.” Ahsoka’s eyebrows shot up, waiting for him to continue. “He claimed that he never actually betrayed his Jedi; I assume he meant you?”

At this, Ahsoka started to laugh, of all things. Kanan stepped back in disbelief and confusion. “Is that what he told you?” she chuckled.

Kanan tensed up. “Was he lying?” he gritted out.

Ahsoka’s laughter died down, and she seemed to consider her next words carefully. “Not exactly,” she said slowly.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s a long story.” She heaved another deep sigh. “I’m sure you heard what the clones said afterward, about how the chips in their heads made them do it.” Kanan nodded. “Sounds crazy, I know. Most people didn’t care. To them, the Jedi were enemies of the Senate, and the clones had simply performed their duty in exterminating them. The ones that did, though, didn’t want to believe it. Who would have put these chips there in the first place, if not for the system that they trusted? It was easier to place the blame on the clones, and they were decommissioned shortly after to reduce speculation.”

“I thought they were lying then,” Kanan admitted, “but I’ve seen the scar.”

“Bet he didn’t mention that I was the one who gave it to him.” Ahsoka gave a wry smile. “But I’m getting ahead of myself. The point is, what nobody else knew is that the chips were discovered several months before the Jedi purge. By a clone named Fives.”

“First I’ve heard of it.”

“The Jedi Council and the Kaminoans kept the whole affair very quiet. I wasn’t around at the time. Sometimes I wonder if things would have turned out differently if I had been. Fives was one of my own. Great man. A bit of a troublemaker, but his heart was always in the right place.” Her voice was tinged with nostalgia, and her eyes were far away, reminiscing on a happier time.

“I don’t know all the details, only what I learned years after. Another one of my men Tup had a malfunction in his chip that nearly exposed the order to kill the Jedi much earlier on. Fives figured out what was wrong with him on Kamino, just before Tup died, but something happened to him when he tried to bring this to the attention of the Republic. He went out of his mind, apparently, tried to attack the Chancellor, went on the run, and he was shot dead before he could reveal anything else. I don’t doubt foul play was involved.”

Kanan nodded along gravely. “What does this have to do with Captain Rex?” he asked when she paused.

“Rex was there when Fives died, heard all of his ramblings. He didn’t believe all of it at the time, but he was suspicious enough to file a report, which, of course, got buried. Until I went looking for it, that is,” Ahsoka explained. “The thing is, I wouldn’t have known to go looking for it unless Rex told me. Right after Order Sixty-six was issued.”

“You mean he didn’t remove his chip before the Order? But I thought-!”

“It’s not something he likes to talk about,” she interrupted, an implied threat behind her eyes. It would take an idiot not to see how fiercely protective she was for her Captain. “If you want to get technical about it, I wasn’t even a Jedi at the time, so he never did betray his Jedi, and Anakin, his actual superior, was away on Coruscant, so he couldn’t reach him. But yes, he did take part in the Order.”

“So, he wasn’t lying, then, from a certain point of view.” Kanan shifted uncomfortably. It still didn’t sit right with him.

“I suppose,” Ahsoka said with a shrug, but then her eyes lit up. “But Kanan, you should have seen him. He fought it, for as long as he could, anyway. He could have shot me a thousand times after receiving the Order, and I wouldn’t have even realized what was happening, but he resisted, even held off others from trying to shoot me, at first. He was able to hold himself back long enough to tell me to find Fives.”

“How come he was able to fight it when others couldn’t?” Kanan asked, unable to hide how bitterly unfair it felt.

“I couldn’t say,” Ahsoka answered. “The sentimental fool in me likes to think it was because he loved me, but I know there were other factors at play. Rex is clever, and he’d been through enough at that point I think to at least realize what was happening before it took over.”

Kanan was silent. That was at least one question answered. The rumors Ezra and Sabine had been snickering about appeared to be true.

“After I figured it all out, I managed to drag him off to the medical bay to get that chip out. I only wish I could have done more. Master Secura always warned me not to sacrifice a thousand lives just to save the one, but, well, I guess that’s exactly what I ended up doing. I would have made a terrible Jedi.” Ahsoka let out a half-hearted laugh.

“You and me both,” Kanan added, moving to sit beside her at last.

“You’re still uneasy,” she said after a moment.

“Yes,” he confessed. “It’s a lot to take in. It’s difficult to rewrite how I feel after fifteen years.” Kanan shrugged. “Maybe I’m just jealous. You and Rex were spared when so many others weren’t, when my Master…” Kanan trailed off, his throat closing up. Ahsoka placed a consoling hand on his shoulder.

“I understand,” she told him gently. “Not a day goes by that I don’t miss Anakin or Master Kenobi. I can’t help but hope sometimes that maybe they’re out there, that maybe they survived, somehow.”

She continued a little more carefully, knowing she was moving into sore territory for him. “Rex feels the same way, too, you know. About his brothers.” Kanan avoided looking at her earnest face. “He had to bury so many of them that died for a pointless cause, only for people to hate them after they were gone. It wasn’t fair to anyone.”

Kanan took a deep breath before replying, "I'll try to keep that in mind."

Ahsoka nodded gratefully. "That's all that I ask. Any other questions you need answering?"

He cracked a half-smile, hoping to lighten the mood. "Well, I _had_ been hearing some rumors about you and Captain Rex that called into question your judgement on the situation, but it seems you've already cleared that up for me."

Ahsoka slapped him lightly on the back of his head and pressed a hand to her heart, feigning being scandalized. "I swear, you and your crew have absolutely zero respect for personal boundaries!" she cried. She winked as she went on. "Maybe that's why I like you guys so much. In the same vein, perhaps you could clear up some similar rumors about you and Captain Syndulla?"

Kanan felt his face grow warm. "Well..."

Thankfully, the door to Ahsoka's room opened then, preventing the conversation from going any further. Of all people who had to interrupt, it ended up being none other than Captain Rex. Ahsoka beamed at him. "Rex!" she greeted. "We were just talking about you!"

Rex glanced between the two of them, noting Kanan's embarrassment and Ahsoka's toothy grin, and shook his head. "I don't even want to know." Without another word, he backed out of the room.

* * *

Sabine felt eyes on her as she practiced her aim on brightly painted targets, playfully designed to resemble various Imperials they had come across in the past few months in insulting caricature form. She holstered her blasters and turned to spot none other than Captain Rex, leaning against a nearby rock, one of the few landmarks on this Force-forsaken nowhere moon they had stopped on to regroup. "Nice work," he said, nodding at the Kallus target, but his phrasing left it ambiguous as to whether he meant the paint job itself, or the blaster burn that strayed a little too far to the right to hit the heart.

"I'd like to see you do any better," she said.

Rex raised an eyebrow and pushed himself off of the rock. "Challenge accepted." He held out both hands, so Sabine handed over both her blasters and stepped back. She was glad for her helmet a moment later, hiding her jaw hanging open as he shot each target squarely in the forehead. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

"Oh, I like these," he chuckled, admiring the weapons as he twirled them and moved as if to holster them, only to remember suddenly that he wasn't wearing any.

"Nice work," Sabine repeated, taking back her blasters.

"You know, it's been a long time since I fought alongside a Mandalorian," Rex told her, intent on striking up a conversation. Sabine wondered who had annoyed him so badly that he was seeking out _her_ for company. Was it Zeb? Kanan? Ezra? Probably Ezra.

It wasn't that she minded hanging out with him. He was pretty neat for an old guy. But she was a little disgruntled at him showing her up in marksmanship. "Funny. I was under the impression that it's been a long time since you fought alongside anybody, Old-timer," she quipped.

"Old-timer," he grumbled. "Why did that nickname have to catch on?"

"Would you rather I use the other nickname that Ezra told me about?" she teased.

Whatever embarrassment this might have caused him seemed to be worn out by this point. He simply glared at her flatly, unamused. "I swear I'm going to kill that kid," Rex deadpanned. Ah, so it _was_ Ezra. Figures.

"Don't let Kanan hear you say that. He's jumpy enough as it is."

"Don't I know it," Rex said, nodding.

"So," Sabine continued, "you and Ahsoka, huh?"

"Don't you kids have anything better to talk about?" he huffed.

Sabine shrugged. "Not really." Every embarrassing secret or interesting backstory on the _Ghost_ crew had already been dug up and exploited for all they were worth (except for hers, and she'd like to keep it that way, thank you very much). Rex and Ahsoka were the shiny new toys, easy targets for gossip fodder on a slow day like this one.

"How's Mandalore these days?" he asked, desperate to change the subject.

"Terrible," she snipped. Never mind that she hadn't actually set foot on Mandalore in years, but she doubted their situation had changed very much.

"Ah."

"Why the sudden interest?" Sabine prodded.

"Not as sudden as you might think," he said. "My brothers and I always had a strange sort of fascination with the system, I think. We were born on Kamino, but our DNA template was from Concord Dawn."

"Why didn't you ask him about it then?"

Rex snorted. "The Kaminoans would never have allowed that. Only little Boba ever really knew him, wonder what he's up to these days. Besides, that man is long dead, killed by the Jedi at the start of the war."

"That's...unfortunate." Sabine wasn't sure exactly what to say to that. She'd offer condolances, but it didn't seem that Rex really cared all that much.

Rex only shrugged nonchalantly. "As for Mandalore itself, I was there, you know, at the Siege."

"Yeah, I remembered you mentioned something about that," she said.

"It was messy. I don't think anyone was entirely satisfied with the outcome. I hate that I never found time to check on the planet or our allies there afterward, but that was when..." Rex trailed off, rubbing his head over his scar. Sabine chose not to press him further. "I know I'm probably boring you, but would you mind indulging an old man?" he joked.

"Not at all." Sabine gestured for him to continue.

"Your mother was Ursa Wren, right?"

Sabine stiffened but tried not to let the tension show in her voice. "You knew her?" she asked tightly.

"Not well," he admitted. "Only in that she was always at Lady Kryze's side, but even then, Ahsoka was closer to Bo-Katan than I was, and I daresay General Kenobi was even more familiar with her sister."

Sabine's shoulders tensed up even more at the reference to Satine (to the _Duchess_ ), and her mind was reeling. How was this man, someone they had dug up in the middle of the desert, so intwined with the parts of her past she'd rather forget? "Things aren't like that anymore," she told him bitterly.

To his credit, Rex didn't push her on this, only shaking his head with a sad, resigned smile. "I guess I should have expected that, by now. I can see I've bothered you, though. I'll leave you to your practice." He turned to head back to the ship, and Sabine couldn't help but feel a little bad for him. It was hard, she knew, to have to keep moving forward when your family and friends have fallen apart.

"Hey!" she called. He turned around just in time to catch the blaster she tossed his way. "Best two out of three?"

* * *

Zeb honestly couldn't care less about Sabine and Ezra's snickering, and if he had to guess, perhaps that was why it was always him who stumbled upon the two subjects of their obsession.

Ahsoka and Rex were not overt about their relationship in any case, to the point that if anyone who saw them together without already being in the know, they probably wouldn't notice. Yet the younger two had developed a strange fascination with the pair, which Zeb could only figure came from them being such striking personalities individually. Two survivors of the Clone Wars, one a fallen Jedi, the other a rebellious soldier, torn apart and thrown together by the galaxy time and time again...it read like a bad holodrama.

While in official company, those two were subtle, and that's all Zeb cared about, really. Whatever they did in the few quiet moments they got in the Rebellion was really none of his business, but he also knew just how much Ezra excelled at ruining those quiet moments. Over time, it seemed that they had developed a system to avoid him when they wanted to. More often than not these days, Ezra would run by asking, "Have you seen Ahsoka? Or Rex?" And Zeb would shake his head and lie and tell him no.

Because somehow he always did see them. Maybe they cared just as little as he did about him strolling by. At least they knew he wasn't the type to interrupt. And it wasn't like they were doing anything that they should worry about being seen. Honestly, Kanan and Hera were much worse offenders when it came to that.

There was no predicting where they were hiding out at any given time, and Zeb had spotted them hanging around in forgotten corners of the docking bay or the cargo hold or once in the medbay, but once they settled on Atollon it was almost guaranteed they'd find a high, open spot to watch the sunset together. Usually, they were just chatting and laughing, sometimes leaning against each other's shoulders, other times pressing their foreheads together and talking low. Occasionally, they would acknowledge his presence, but they mostly ignored him, and he would take care of whatever business he had in that room and then leave them their privacy. Except for that one time he had walked in to find the both of them crying. He had just slowly backed away then, moving onto a different task.

He never _meant_ to eavesdrop; it always just sort of happened. His ears were a bit stronger than most species, after all, but he truly did do his best to tune the two of them out, especially when they got all lovey-dovey. It was hard not to snort, though, when he overheard Rex grumbling about the "Sexy Rexy" nickname that Ahsoka had accidentally managed to spread through the entire Rebellion. A glare from Rex shut him up, not that he wasn't sure that he could take the old man in a fight, but he did harbor a deep respect for him even if he wasn't always the best at showing it.

Which was why he made it a point not to interrupt when he found Rex on a holocall with Ahsoka, who was travelling to Malachor with Kanan and Ezra, as he continued unpacking boxes and helping set up Chopper Base. Just this once, however, he did listen in, just in case there was any news from the other two.

"Once we drop out of Hyperspace, we'll be going dark," she informed him.

"Are you _sure_ about this?"

"Yes," she answered firmly, not without some irritation. It seemed they had argued this point before.

This didn't seem to put Rex at ease. "Ahsoka, you don't have to go to Malachor alone. I can be there in two rotations," he insisted.

Her eyes darted off to the side, to where Zeb imagined Kanan and Ezra were standing nearby. "I'm not alone, Rex," she assured him.

Rex wasn't fully pacified, but he at least gave up on the argument in earnest, his voice dropping into something friendlier. "You know, I could have ordered you to take me along."

"You don't exactly outrank me anymore," she pointed out.

"In my book, _experience_ outranks everything."

Ahsoka chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Then I definitely outrank you."

They shared a smile before Rex's face became somber, his concern once again shining through. He paused, seeming to take into account Zeb's presence, and said in parting, "May the Force be with you." Ahsoka nodded, and they seemed to have another one of those moments where something unsaid passed between their eyes, but then the communication cut off.

Zeb wasn't the best at comforting people, but he figured he should say something to Rex, who was still standing there with the comm, clearly distressed. "I'm sure they'll be fine," he told him. "They've all gone on dumber missions, I'm sure."

Rex's mood lightened a bit, and he nodded. "Yes, but General Skywalker was usually with her on them. I can't help but wish he were here now. I'd still worry, of course. They always managed to dig themselves into deeper trouble, but at least I know that she wouldn't....that he wouldn't let her..." Rex sighed, appearing even older now than ever. "I've lost her so many times. I'm not sure I can take one more."

Zeb shifted awkwardly, not knowing what to say to that, so he attempted to change the subject. Scratching his chin in thought, he asked, "Skywalker? Isn't that the Jedi that Ezra watches on that holocron thing?"

Rex's mouth quirked into a smile. "Yes, but I can't say it captures his likeness very well. You would have liked him, I think. He was a brilliant warrior, and above all, a loyal friend."

"Come on," Zeb said. "Help me move some of these crates. "Hera's probably worse off than you right now, and she's working us all to death." Glad for the distraction, Rex followed him out of the room.

Of course, the mission did not go as planned, and they were definitely not fine.

Everyone saw Kanan step out first, his face permanently scarred and bandaged, and no one saw Ezra after the debriefing, as he had stalked off to hide in his room. And after taking into account who he saw and who he didn't, Zeb turned to Rex, whose expression had twisted into one of pain so great it could not be described. Then he, too, disappeared.

Zeb found him later, as he always did, though this time it had been a bit more intentional. He had stayed with the others long enough to be sure that Kanan was stable, but while Hera tended to him and Sabine tried to get Ezra to unlock his door, Zeb figured that Rex, too, might need some sort of companion. He had wandered off alone to a private ridge not too far from the main base, where he and Ahsoka had liked to sit and watch the sunset. Zeb took a seat beside him.

"Hey."

"Of course it would be Maul," he spat before Zeb could say anything else. "He was always great at ruining everything."

Zeb was taken aback, but allowed the old man his ranting. He didn't know too much about this Maul that Kanan and Ezra spoke of, only that he had been an enemy of the Jedi back in the days of the Republic.

"If it weren't for him, my brothers might be...Jesse might be...and now Ahsoka..." Rex couldn't bring himself to finish any of those statements before he broke down in tears. "It just isn't fair! Why should Vader make it out alive when she didn't? Ezra said she should have had plenty of time to escape with them. _Why didn't she?_ " 

They had learned through their networks that Vader had been spotted returning to his ship after Malachor. It stood to reason that if he survived the collapse of the Sith temple, Ahsoka might have, as well. But then there was the fact that she had no doubt _chosen_ to stay behind, to buy Kanan and Ezra time, to continue to engage Vader herself when she already had him down. The only logical conclusion then was that she lost.

"Stupid kid probably wanted revenge," Rex reasoned once the wave of sobs had passed. "We both knew the story of the Purge on Coruscant, about how Vader marched through the Temple with an army behind him, slaughtering everyone inside, even _younglings_." Zeb couldn't help but wince at that, at the destruction of an entire group down to the very last. "Anakin would have been there at the time. We liked to think he was strong enough to survive, but we always knew what must have happened. Like I know now.

"It figures that out of all the times she left, the one time she's actually gone is when I have nothing left to remember her by. Her holos, her weapons, her braid. All of it _gone_." Rex sighed and looked out at the horizon, which had gone dark in the time they'd spent sitting there.

The two of them were quiet for a long time. Zeb remained in case Rex needed an ear, but it seemed for now, his words were spent. Zeb knew what it was like - all of the _Ghost_ crew did, in fact - to lose everything, to be left with nothing. There were no words that could be offered that would comfort, no way to fully erase the pain. So instead he sat there for as long as he could, until the night chill breached his fur and his legs went numb.

Eventually, he stood, hoping to check on Kanan at least one last time before attempting to sleep after all that had happened. "We should head back to the others," he announced.

As he expected, Rex hollowly replied, "I think I'll stay out here for a little while longer."

Zeb didn't press the matter. "Suit yourself. Just don't stay out too long. You ought to try and sleep." Rex nodded, and Zeb turned back to their base, marked in the distance by a few lights dotting the landing platform, shadowy figures darting in between them to continue the work that was never really done.

"You know," Zeb said with an awkward shrug, "it's not entirely true that she didn't leave anything behind. There's us. There's the Rebellion she helped build. And then there's you. I know that it'll never be enough, but hey, at least it's something."

He could have imagined it, but Zeb thought he saw the first hints of a grateful smile light up Rex's face in the dark as he walked away.

* * *

There was so much to be done after the liberation of Lothal, but for Hera, it was the first opportunity for rest she'd had in a long, long time. So, naturally, she refused to take advantage of it. She threw herself into the relief and restoration efforts, taking on any jobs that kept her hands and her mind busy, anything that would keep her focused on what they won instead of what they'd lost.

The hours spent in the hot sun were long and grueling, but it wasn't something she was unused to, which was why she couldn't quite figure out at first why she was more tired and moving slower than usual. Sure, the last several days had taken a toll on her physically and emotionally, but she figured that she could push through it, like always. She was never one to admit weakness. She'd never had the luxury, so why start now?

Slowness turned to sickness over time. She ached worse than she could remember, the heat left her short of breath, and her stomach roiled often at even the smell of some foods. Sabine finally approached her after the seventh time she'd had to brace herself against a block of rubble that day, saying, "Hera, enough is enough. You need to rest or see a doctor."

Hoping to avoid rest, Hera chose to take up Sabine's second suggestion almost immediately so that she could get whatever medicine she needed and get back to work as soon as possible. Except she later learned that there was no medicine for her condition. She headed back to base, her mind reeling, and hid herself away in her quarters for the rest of the day, staring blankly at Kanan's link on her Kalikori in shock.

Ezra was missing. Kanan was _gone_. She'd thought that she could handle the pain if she could just keep moving forward, but how was she supposed to handle _this?_ The tears started slowly, one after the other, but it wasn't long before she broke into long sobs, wanting nothing more than to scream at how unfair the galaxy was for ripping her family apart again and again and again. And then left her with this. This one thing that should have been a bright spot on her horizon that Kanan would never get to know.

The others remained busy with their work, so it wasn't until late that night that there was a knock at her door, and Rex stepped in. "The others are on their way back. They asked me to check on..." He trailed off as he took in the sight of her curled around her family heirloom, tear tracks etched onto her cheeks. He walked over and sat down next to her on the bed. Most anybody else would have gone on to ask what was wrong or if she was alright, but instead of any of that, Rex asked softly, "Thinking about Kanan?" Biting back another cry, Hera nodded.

"He was a great man, a great Jedi. It was an honor to fight beside him." Rex sighed. "If Ahsoka were here, she'd probably tell you that he's at peace now, that he's become one with the Force, or something else reassuring. I wish there was more I could do to make it hurt less."

"Just stay with me for a bit?" she pleaded. Though she was reluctant to admit it, she was more afraid now than she had ever been, and it was a comfort just to have Rex at her side, someone who, at least partially, understood what she was feeling. Rex nodded, and Hera leaned against his shoulder, still sniffling.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

"I wouldn't know what to say," Hera replied, her voice raw. "I just miss him so bad that it _hurts_."

"I know what you mean."

"I waited so long to tell him that I loved him. There was so much more I wanted to say, things that he'll never know." 

"I'm sure he knew," Rex tried to assure her. "You two were as close as anybody could get."

"Not everything, Rex. Even _I_ didn't know!" she insisted. "And now I don't know how I'm supposed to do this without him!"

"Do what?" he asked. "Whatever it is, we'll do whatever it takes to help you. Me, Sabine, Zeb - all of us."

"Rex," she began, her eyes wide with terror, "I'm pregnant." It was the first time she had said the words aloud since she had gotten back from the doctor, and now the prospect of it felt all the more real. She clutched at her Kalikori tighter.

Complete silence followed her words. Rex appeared to have gone into shock, staring blankly at her as though he were unable to comprehend what she had said. His mouth opened, as if to form words, but nothing came out. Briefly, Hera wondered if she might have to take _him_ to the doctor. Finally, he blinked a few times, swallowed, and stammered, "That's, uh...um, you're...and it's... _kriffing hell!_ "

Rex leapt to his feet, a barrage of questions spilling from his mouth. "What do we do? How long have you known? How long until it's due? Does anyone else know? Should you even be flying right now? Do you need a doctor? Are you feeling alright? Do I need to get you anything?"

Hera had to jump up and shake him out of it, finding some amusement in the fact that Rex seemed to be panicking even more than she was. It occurred to her that due to his unique upbringing and occupation, he had never before had to personally deal with the prospect of someone close to him having a child. "Rex, calm down!" she told him. "Everything's fine. I already went to the doctor, and I only just found out myself."

Rex took several deep breaths as he tried to process everything. "You're having a baby," he said after a moment.

"Yes."

"And it's Kanan's."

Hera couldn't help but roll her eyes a bit. "Yes, Rex, that's kind of how this works."

Despite going a little pink in the ears, Rex continued, "Hera, that's...oh, I'm so sorry. But this is...this is amazing. Are you okay?"

"It's a lot," Hera admitted. Rex's barrage of questions earlier only reminded her of all that needed to be taken into consideration.

"Well, what I said before still stands. We're here for you, Hera. Whatever you need, we'll help you. And the kid." He offered a smile to her and held out his arms.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Hera rushed forward and embraced him. "Thank you," she whispered, her throat tight.

Rex held her delicately, no doubt still unsure of how to interact with her now, knowing that she was pregnant. "And if Kanan were here, he'd be overjoyed. He was so, _so_ lucky to have you," he told her, gently patting her on the back.

Hera nodded into his shoulder, then suddenly pulled back as another terrifying thought struck her. "Kriff, what if the kid is like Kanan? I don't know how to raise a Force Sensitive baby!"

Rex chuckled nervously. "Well, I guess it's a good thing I'm an expert at babysitting Jedi younglings."

In spite of her anxiety and despair, Hera couldn't help but crack a small smile and let out a breathless laugh. Ahsoka had been so, _so_ lucky to have him, she thought.

**Author's Note:**

> This originally started out as just the fun one-shot of Ezra learning about how old Rex was, but then my brain went, "why not make it sad," so I did. At least it didn't get as out of hand as part one... ^_^' Apologies if I happen to make any mistakes in this one. Admittedly, it's been a while since I've watched through Rebels, so I had to skim through a few episodes to write this and consult the gremlin with any other questions.


End file.
